Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

An assortment of the weird and creepy

October 28, 2013

So, the girls and I went on a road trip to do some clothes shopping yesterday. Of course I had my phone handy and I found a few things totally worthy of a blog post showcasing weird and creepy things. You might want to brace yourself – the last photo is super disgustingly creepy!

This isn’t creepy – just cute. Maggie in cat glasses.

Okay, where the hell did this stupid phrase come from??!! Even a host on QVC uttered it one night – blech!

The picture doesn’t even show how seriously small this little get up for your toddler is. The only thing I can think of is just say NO.

OMG!!!! When I rounded the corner and saw this it actually looked like a kid was in the box with Elmo!! There are just too many icko things about the way they showcased this…toy. So, I’ll just leave it at that.

2 comments
What Not To Wear Ends

October 26, 2013

While it is sad to say goodbye to such a cherished show in my life (and in the lives of so many women), the lessons I have learned will always remain with me. They’ve covered all the bases of every fashion problem you could imagine and they also covered a really big issue for most women: self-esteem. I learned so so much about how clothing can fit into my life and how it’s not a sin to dress in nice clothes or wear makeup to make you feel more attractive. Even on a budget we can all dress well.

I used to watch the show every Friday (with chocolate) and laugh and cringe and always cry at the end because those women were so lucky to have such a wonderful thing happen to them. While I have to say it would have been a dream come true to be on the show, I probably would have worn a bag over my head the whole time. Having a spotlight on me is something I avoid.

I have watched the show from the beginning when it wasn’t Clinton as Stacy’s sidekick but Wayne Scot Lukas. I loved the show right away and it helped as much as expensive therapy just to watch. I was laughing every single week and how I needed to laugh! I still remember Pizza Toe Shoe Woman (as I called her) putting a piece of pizza right next to her pointy toe shoes. So much fun! They never showed Season 1 in reruns but I wish they did because they were the beginnings of this fantastic show and we should all remember where we come from.

There is so much more I’ve said to the WNTW team in my fantasies, but for now I’ll leave at this. To Stacy, Wayne, Clinton, Nick, Carmindy – and Ted? never got to see any episodes with him as we jumped to a lower Dish package – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for giving me a laugh when I needed it, advice as if you were my BFF, and courage to start finding out and being who I truly am. Stacy and Clinton you are angels on my shoulders now whenever I go shopping for clothes – I couldn’t have started doing that again without your help. Love you and miss you!

1 comment
My Bad

October 21, 2013

So I forgot to post yesterday – oh well. I truly had nothing earth shattering to say or share. Life has been fairly generic of late. Let’s see – what did I do the last four days?

– Went out of town to go to fun places like Target and Whole Foods with son #2. I’m sure he couldn’t wait to get home and away from super chatty mom.

– Started reading “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ll probably watch the movie too.

– Started watching season 1 of “thirtysomething”…again. SO glad I own this!

– Went grocery shopping Sunday since I decided to go out of town on Saturday and it didn’t get done then. The best part? Stores are so much quieter on early Sunday mornings than near noon on Saturdays.

– My husband an I went out for an hour by ourselves today to amble around the mall. Of course a visit to Starbucks was in order as well. I think we’ve forgotten how to go on a date.

– I couldn’t sleep Saturday night so I wrote down everything that was bothering me in prayer form. After I’d written a few things down I started to yawn – apparently the psychologists are right and this is a great way to settle your thoughts. I went to bed and slept like a log. Hmm.

– I found a used copy of the Marie Antoinette movie soundtrack! I really, really like the fact that Sofia Coppola used modern music as the back drop to Marie Antoinette’s story. It fits though because she (Marie) and her husband were teens when they were married and subsequently monarchs. I think we sometimes forget how real these people were. Anyway – loving this music!

Today I let it be a Fall Break Day with school because I just needed it. Tomorrow we’ll be working again but I feel more energized for it. Maybe I’ll take the kids to the park for a nature walk too – the weather is perfect for it. They keep bringing me beautiful multi-colored leaves as well. I love fall.

So, that’s it. Everyday life.

No comments
Rituals

October 19, 2013

I can’t believe I have not written on this topic yet! Well, that changes TODAY. I have had rituals since I was a teen, but I find myself without one these days. I don’t know why either and I think it’s time to revisit all of that and find a new ritual to get into. I believe it’s something I actually need to feel whole – more me. I did find that when I searched through my posts for something on rituals that the word “spiritual” showed up a lot – because “ritual” is part of it (why haven’t I figured that out before?). So, I guess my soul needs this particular thing.

One of my earliest rituals was the way I got ready for school dances. Everything had to be done a certain way and by a certain time. I felt that if I did that it would be a good luck charm of sorts and that everything would be hunky dory. Yeah, that never worked. I did these kinds of things a lot when I was younger as a way of warding off bad stuff, but that wasn’t the problem. My problem was really self-esteem and only that could be worked on from the inside. But at 12 years old I couldn’t know that. And at 50 years old I’m still working on it.

Later on, I decided to have a Lazy Saturday Ritual. I stayed in bed until 10am then got up, dressed, etc. and made myself a breakfast of eggs and toast. I don’t think I kept that one up for more than a month or two – probably had to do with the eggs. I like them, but have to be in a mood for them. I couldn’t stand just hanging around in bed for that long either – HA – now that I have kids it’s what I want to do on the weekends!

There was this one episode in my life that may have been one of the cataylsts for chocolate becoming my BFF. I was about 17 years old and this one rainy Saturday all I did was stay in bed, read a romance novel, and eat a whole bag of little Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Yeah, the whole bag. I couldn’t believe it at the time and I couldn’t believe I had stayed in bed reading that long either. However, I look back on it as one of the most satisfying times of my life!

Okay, back to rituals. After I left home I don’t think I had any rituals except for drinking. I would go out with a friend of mind and get completely wasted. Every time. After the big fallout we had (a really long and painful story) we still saw each other but always drinking. That was one ritual that had to go.

The next ritual I can recall is my coffee in the morning one. That started when Matt, Jeff, and Chris were little. I started drinking those General Foods International Coffees and really enjoyed them in the morning while reading Victoria magazine before the kids got up. That was in the beginning when the coffees were really good and my favorites were Suisse Mocha and the Irish Mocha Mint (which they don’t even have now). Then they started to put a ton of sugar in them and I couldn’t tolerate them anymore so I had to give them up. It was a hard thing to do because I had enjoyed them so much. However, in the fall especially, having a morning cup of coffee to warm up with is still a favorite thing of mine to do.

The next one that I could truly say was an every week have to do it event was my What Not To Wear ritual. It started after I read a book called “The Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting Your Groove Back” by Vicki Iovine. I remember laughing my ass off and wondering what that sound was. Yeah, depression was with me way back then too. Well, that sort of got the ball rolling and so when I saw this new show on tv about fashion I was ready for it. I can’t remember when it was first on, but I know it evolved to Friday nights and I decided to have chocolate while watching it. That ritual hung around a long time, until 2008 when in an effort to cut costs we gave up a more expensive dish package and WNTW was a thing of the past.

Oh, then there was the ritual of going to Borders every Sunday morning after Mass which always meant getting a coffee and 3 Lindt chocolates. I kept that one up until Borders closed (RIP) even after we had stopped going to Mass at that church. This ritual definitely solidified my relationship with my two BFF’s now – coffee and chocolate. Even when we went shopping we closed those trips with Borders, coffee, and chocolate and then on home. I really miss that ritual but especially the bookstore.

I really haven’t had a ritual until the last year or so when I realized how ingrained in me the habit of getting a Starbucks coffee when I went out grocery shopping was. Yes, every Saturday morning I do the grocery shopping and I always stop for a coffee or frappucino. Now, this is great if I could just keep it to weekly visits, but this summer when things got really crazy, I started going there a few times a week. So, I need to keep it to one day a week or when I go on trips out of town. But one only even then.

That brings us up to now in which I find myself with no rituals at all. Habits are not rituals and I need to find something that fits in again. Something I can count on in the midst of all the craziness that is mine alone. I’ll let you know when I find one. In the meantime I’ll keep to my shopping and Starbucks ritual. And guess what? It’s Saturday!!

2 comments
Looking Ahead…

October 17, 2013

…to my next thyroid and cholesterol check in February. Bleh. At least I think they’ll check both then. I kind of forgot that I was supposed to be working on getting my cholesterol under control. But I was really thinking about it today (Because I’m sure as hell not adding any more meds into my repertoire!) and I know I have to make dietary changes. Although, to my credit, I already have been. I’ve been an avid label reader for awhile and am choosing lower salt and cholesterol processed foods (the few I do eat), but I’m still not into the fruit and vegetable vibe and I know I have to get into it. So…I caved. I watched Hungry Girl this morning. :-O

I really don’t like many of her recipes because they seem to rely heavily on processed foods – including those awful low fat ones. I’m more of a whole foods girl – preferring to eat foods the way God made them – so I refuse to eat low fat cheese slices which have more chemical ingredients than you can imagine. I’ll opt for smaller portions of real cheese. After considering that I do need to change my ways, I watched this morning to see what she had to offer. And there were a couple of good things – kale “chips” and butternut squash fries (baked actually). I could do those!

So, I signed up for her e-mails and looked around at the archives – what I found out wasn’t pretty. All those Starbucks drinks I’ve been sucking down? Yeah, loaded with fat and calories! Somehow I seem to be oblivious to those coffee drinks and pretend that they are calorie free I guess. But they aren’t, so I’m going to have to really stick to ONE a week and that’s it. There was a lot of other good information on making better food choices so I think I’ll stick with it for awhile. Maybe Hungry Girl won’t be so bad after all and I might even learn something. It would probably be even better to write down my downfall foods and find “swaps” for those that are healthier. I need all the help I can get!

2 comments
Another day in paradise…not really

October 16, 2013

So, I’ve got nothing again. This week I’m kind of slogging around and trying to stay on track with everything. I am reading my kaizen book and gleaning so much from it. I am also reading a book called “The Last American Man” by Elizabeth Gilbert and it’s about a man named Eustace Conway who lives an extraordinary kind of life. There is a lot to be gleaned there too. I’m also watching “Grey Gardens” – the original 1975 documentary about Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale. It’s kind of disturbing and fascinating all at the same time. Kind of want to watch the HBO movie with Drew Barrymore, but I dunno – I think the original might be enough for me.

So, I don’t have anything exciting to say but I’ll post anyway since this month is about posting every day and I am trying to be consistent there. So, while not exciting, it’s a post.

No comments
Christmas Countdown Starts Soon!

October 15, 2013

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Christmas Countdown courtesy of Organized Christmas (a by-product of Organized Home) will start on October 27! I’ve printed the Countdown calendar and I’m already setting up my binder. I also have bought 1 gift already – bwahahahahaha! So here’s the linkage for you so you can get started too:

Organized Christmas – here’s the get started page if you will.

Christmas Countdown

Be sure to also sign up there for the daily emails throughout the countdown. Have fun!

No comments
Kaizen – Two Week Update

October 13, 2013

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about this book I found on kaizen and how I could implement small changes in my life to bring about larger change over time. I decided to start with a one minute exercise routine and I started on Sept. 29. I did all right the first week, but last week something slipped and for the last 3 days I haven’t done it. This morning though, I read my kaizen book and, right after, I did my one minute of marching. I have no idea what it is, whether it’s the exercise or the idea, but after that one minute it’s like a big clog gets flushed out of my brain and I’m able to think clearly again. I’m able to see the big picture again. I’m able to brainstorm ideas again. I do want to add to that one minute, but when I tried the 2 minutes I kind of shut down. It makes me want to do the next good thing for myself – like eating right. So, I’m going to try it differently – one minute in the morning and one minute in the afternoon. It’s still a small change, but it’s also progress.

I thought of all the small changes I have made over the last few years and how they’ve lasted. I bought myself a Bible in January of 2012 and resolved to read a chapter a day of Psalms plus a chapter a day in the New Testament. Well, I’ve done that. I am on Revelation and reading through the Psalms a second time. I’ve also read Esther which I unknowingly read over Purim – a Jewish holy day. Coincidence? Not here.

I’ve kept up washing my face twice a day every day for a long time. At the old house when I was first doing Flylady, I cleaned the bathroom by decluttering one drawer at a time each time I went in there. I pray nightly and I try to thank God for one thing each night. This usually leads to a monologue on my part, but some day maybe I can cultivate silence to hear more clearly what God is saying to me.

And let’s not forget that biggee change of getting out of debt. That was no small move, but I made a change that needed to be made and I did not want to wait another five years to get out of that hole. I could see what life could be like on the other side and that’s what I wanted. Now if I could channel that into losing weight I’d be Twiggy in no time. :-) I’ve been told by others that if I could get out of debt in that short of time, then I can do other big things too. I’ve been told I have a lot of good ideas, but consistency with them is my downfall. So, I KNOW that I can do these things, I just need to get over the things that stop me.

So, here’s a new start today. I did my one minute of marching, I’ve eaten a good breakfast of oatmeal with fruit and nuts, and I’ve written these titles on two pages in my journal: “Ask Small Questions”, “Take Small Steps”. So, I begin anew and isn’t that what every day of life brings? Another day to do better than the day before. Anyway can tell you that a favorite quote of mine is this (saw it on Oprah, but I think Maya Angelou said it), “I knew then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”

2 comments
Mommy Life

October 12, 2013

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve never had a bad day in your parenting career. Oy, you waving your hand in the back – you can leave now….thank you. Now that she’s gone, we can talk.

This morning (Thursday) was one of those mornings. Trying to get the day’s laundry done, doing school, and one of your kids is sick and needs to call in to his place of employment as sick and it’s not going well. On top of that add making the promised grilled cheese sandwiches (which your twins decide to make on their own) and soup. This is where it got tricky.

After putting the sandwiches together, we realized that the large pan I usually make them in was still dirty (to my credit it was soaking). Then when it was time to set the table, we realized that I’d have to wash a few bowls and spoons because there wasn’t enough for everyone at the table. And my son was STILL trying to do his calling in. We finally got everything done and when I picked up the platter with the finished sandwiches, I realized it had been sitting on the burner I had heated the soup on. OUCH! I drop the platter but luckily every sandwich survived. THEN, we got to the table and find out that not enough bowls have been washed – still! What did I do? Got mad at my girls . By that time I’ve had it and I toss a dirty bowl into the sink to wash it and that’s when Katie starts crying. Bad mommy. Now I feel like crying.

So, I wash up two extra bowls and spoons and she is still crying. I apologize and take her to the couch in the back and we sit and talk about it. I apologize again, and I let her know that it really isn’t her fault, that mommy is just having a rough morning. And we ALL have rough days don’t we. I do not tell her to stop crying, but let her have a good cry. She needs it. We talk a little more about bad days and then she wipes her eyes and goes back to the table to eat. After lunch, luckily, the rest of the day goes much more smoothly. And I have my husband pick up chocolate at the store later. :-)

Am I supermom because I have 8 children? Absolutely not! Last week I was in a local store and the checker gal, who has “known” me over the last 10 years ago, asked me if I ever got mad or yelled at the kids. I took a deep breath and said, “Yes, I do. And I cry sometimes too.” I mean what mom doesn’t? I wondered if she thought that because I had a lot of kids that somehow I had my life all together too. But I’m glad I told her the truth so that she could feel okay about her own mothering. None of us have all the answers and none of us have it all together. What we see on the outside is not always what is going on on the inside.

2 comments
Happy Leif Ericson Day!

October 11, 2013

Well, okay, Leif Ericson Day was actually this past Wednesday – October 9 – but never mind that. Tomorrow is Columbus Day, but we mostly know about what he did:

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492

I’m sure there’s more to that little ditty, but it’s been a long time since my elementary school days and the horrible drawing that I did of Columbus’ ships. Anyway, let’s talk about Leif Erikson instead.

First off Leif’s father was Erik the Red (Ericson is literally Eric’s Son – get it?) who was a total bad ass because he got kicked out of Norway first, and then got kicked out of Iceland to Oxney (an island near Iceland). Later he sailed to Greenland and established two colonies.

Now, Leif was born in Iceland about 970 or 980. He was not like his father at all and, according to the Wikipedia article was “described as wise, considerate, and strong man of striking appearance.” While his father Eric held to pagan ways, Leif and his wife converted to Christianity. Around 1000 A.D. he was apparently blown off course trying to go to Greenland and found Vinland – otherwise known as Newfoundland – New Found Land. There was also a saga written of Leif and his father’s journey’s around 1200 which sealed the story as a certainty. Then it seems to have been forgotten for awhile.

In the 1960’s research was done by Helge and Anne Ingstad who found the viking settlement at L’anse aux Meadows (Newfoundland) and in 1964 Leif Ericson Day was proclaimed to celebrate the earliest discovery of North America. Now, this is the really condensed version so look up the Wikipedia articles yourself, and here are some wonderful books to read to your children (or just on your own):

Leif the Lucky by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire (this one gets a 5 star rating as do all of the D’Aulaire books)

D’Aulaire’s Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire

Eric The Red and Leif the Lucky by Barbara Schiller

Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla

Also, I found the website of L’anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, which has some really cool videos and pictures. The commercial with the kids in it is great – I’m making Becky and Katie watch it today because we just finished Leif the Lucky. I can see why Leif wanted to establish his home there – the land is beautiful.

So, Happy Leif Ericson Day and now I’ve got to go make lunch for my brood. :-)

2 comments
« Older Posts